PDGA's Biggest B-tier

[Bruce Brakel]

For the past few years, and this year too, the biggest B-tier in the PDGA based on attendance is the Michigan State Championships.  Last year 58 pros and 313 ams played this tournament in five pools on six courses.  The tournament is three rounds of 24 holes with the coolest Skins Final Nine in disc golf.  The spectators can climb to the top of Beast Hill and watch the whole thing from there. 

If you want to play you have to have a berth.  If you are out-of-state and you want to win a berth go to this schedule http://www.mdgo.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=5 and look for the MDGO tournaments.  At MDGO tournaments the highest finishing player in each division who doesn't have a berth gets a berth.  In the large divisions they might give away two or three berths. 

You can also win a berth on the Friday before the tournament.  Pretty much everyone who comes over for Friday qualifying gets in.  Last year only the Advanced pool came close to filling, one short.  This year more players will want to play and I would expect the three large amateur pools to fill.  There will probably be extra room for pros of all kinds, amateur women and amateur old people.  The last way to get in is to buy a berth at registration Saturday morning.  By then MA1 will be full and maybe MA2 and MA3. 

[Bruce Brakel]

This thread has 110 clicks so maybe someone is interested? 

Looking at the schedule, the next tournament with a lot of berths that I would want to play is the AJ Open, May 26.  They have 18 berths up for grabs, and since berths bump down, you might win one.  The tournament is being played on the three courses at Mason County Park, which is almost as close to you as it is to me. 

The AJ is not full yet, but the Flip City tournament the next day is full.  So on Sunday you could play the Leviathon, the Mason County course you did not play on Saturday, and Scottville.  If you want to play Flip, Ludington tournaments start kind of late, so you could get in a round there before the tournament starts if you come out early, or play it Monday if you sleep in.

[Bruce Brakel]

Diana and I will be offering the 2 Dog Lunch at the AJ Open.

2 dogs, 2 buns, chips, condiments and a beverage for $3. You need to pay at registration so we know how many to cook. For the dogs you get a choice of the big smoked sausages we've done at other tournaments, or all beef hotdogs. We will have two stoves with two burners each, so we will be ready to cook lots of lunches.

[Bruce Brakel]

There are only a few spots left in the AJ Open, I think in the Pro or Advanced divisions.  Check with the TD.  The JBird series is all on discgolfscene.com. 

The next big qualifier after that will be the Dog Daze at Blue Gill Acres.  Blue Gill is the best private course in Michigan, by Mark Ellis's standards.  The JBird TDs are mimicking the IOS Open/2/4 format, with one or two changes in the microdivisions, but they have flipped the days, so you could play your local tournament and head on over to Wayland, which is about the same distance for you as it is for me.

We have to pick up Kiralyn at mouse camp on Friday and get Kelsey to the airport, so we won't be able to get out to Oswego.  We will probably do the 2 dog lunch at Wayland, if the Gills are good with that.